Finns burst into song after edging Swedes for bronze

Steve Ewen, Canwest Olympic Team02.25.2010

Team Finland celebrate their victory against Sweden in overtime in the women's bronze medal hockey game at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver, BC during the 2010 Winter Olympics, February 25, 2010.Jean Levac / Canwest News Service
/ Jean Levac / Canwest News Service

Finland's Michelle Karvinen (right) celebrates scoring her team's second goal of the bronze medal game in women's hockey against Sweden with team-mate Rosa Lindstedt (left) in Vancouver BC Thursday, February 25, 2010 during the 2010 Olympics.John Mahoney / Canwest News Service
/ John Mahoney / Canwest News Service

Finland's Emma Laaksonen (left) and Sweden's Danijela Rundqvist battle for the puck during first period of bronze medal women's hockey game in Vancouver BC Thursday, February 25, 2010 during the 2010 Olympics.John Mahoney / Canwest News Service
/ John Mahoney / Canwest News Service

VANCOUVER — The Finnish women’s hockey team celebrated their bronze medal win at Vancouver 2010 Thursday by saluting President Tarja Halonen with a rendition of the country’s national anthem.

Just moments after Karoliina Rantamaki’s overtime marker gave them a 3-2 victory over the Swedes at Hockey Canada Place before a crowd of 16,398, the Finns en masse skated toward the end where Halonen was sitting in and broke into song.

Halonen had visited the team earlier this week. She again went into the dressing room Thursday and coach Pekka Hamalainen admitted afterwards that we “all cried together.”

Rantamaki’s goal, at 2:33 of the 10-minute extra session, looked controversial initially. On the replay, the cross-crease pass appeared to go in off the foot of teammate with Saara Tuominen. Tuominen had outbattled Sweden’s Erika Holst for position in front of the net.

There was some complaint from the Swedes, including coach Peter Elander, but German referee Nicole Hertrich let it stand.

Holst admitted in the post-game media session that the puck had gone in off of her. Elander confirmed that as well.

“It turned out to be a fair goal,” he said.

The Swedes got goals from Danijela Rundqvist and Maria Rooth in regulation. The Finns countered with markers from Michelle Karvinen and Heidi Pelttari.

Finland beat Sweden 4-1 for the bronze medal at last April’s world championships in Hameenlinna, Finland.

Finland’s previous best finish at the Olympics was third in Nagano 1998.

It was Rantamaki’s second goal of Vancouver 2010.

Rundqvist whacked home a rebound on a power play at 5:09 of the third period to knot the score at 2-2.

Karvinen put Finland up 2-1 at 16:02 of the second, taking advantage of a stumble at centre ice by Swedish rearguard Emma Nordin to burst down the right-wing and cut to the net. She outwaited Grahn before sliding a shot home.

The Swedes knotted the score at 1-1 at 12:24 of the second on Rooth’s deflection on a power play.

The Finns opened the scoring at 4:24 of the second period, when Pelttari beat Grahn.

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Finns burst into song after edging Swedes for bronze

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